MLB Players Getting Their First Career Hit

A full count to Johnson, and here's the pitch, swung on and grounded on the right side, off the glove of Palmeiro, Young goes after it, and it eludes him, and bounds into right field. Spencer comes in to score, Johnson is on it first, he has an RBI single in his first big league at bat. They will save the baseball as Mark Hirschbeck, the umpire at first, calls for the ball. Davis lobs it to him, and Hirschbeck throws it across the diamond to the Yankee dugout where Jorge Posada picks it up on the top step. Juan Rivera, in his first at-bat, he hit it hard to right center, ran down by Melvin Moore. Rivera called up today when Gerald Williams was released. Rivera hitting well over .300 at AAA Columbus. He's a right-hand hitter. And the pitch is swung on and juiced to deep right center. Moore back, a way back. That ball is off the right center field wall. Johnson goes to third, and they'll hold him there. And he just missed his first Major League homer. That's his first Major League hit. A roaring, ripping double off the right center field wall. Between the .385 and the .408 foot size. You know one thing? It's very possible that Rivera at Columbus faced Driscoll at Rochester. More than likely. The ball has been retrieved, given to Lee Mazzilli. In turn, he has given it to the batsman. And that ball will be presented to Juan Rivera in his locker in the clubhouse after the game. Now, Marcus Timms, now spelled T-H-A-M-E-S, but pronounced Timms, like tiny Timms, or there were two of them, is his first major league at bat. And Charlie, I don't know if he can munt, but I would think he's going to be called out upon. The Yankees have a chance to get a runoff. Randy, when you have a chance, baby, you better take advantage. Tim's had a terrific spring training with the Yanks. He has not hit well at all down at Columbus in the 220s. But with the injury to Juan Rivera, his buddy gets a chance to play for the Yanks. And here he is against Randy Johnson. At Columbus this year, six home runs, 20 runs batted in. And as John mentioned, had an outstanding spring. Right-handed batter, swinging away. And there's a high fly ball to deep left center field. Way back at the wall. Gone! Gone! Gone! On his first major league pitch, Marcus Thames hits a home run off Randy Johnson, and the Yankees lead it 2-0. Nothing! How about your dummy broadcast partner calling for a bunt? I should be taken outside and whacked and beaten with a very inch of my life. Have you ever configured this game of baseball? Would you please come forth? Marcus Thames hitting in the 220s for Columbus. Becomes an instant hero. The Yankee bench has gone utterly berserk. Joe Torre has a smile you can read by. And the Yankees take a 2-0 lead. Some smattering of boos here at SkyDome for Matsui. There's a ground ball, base hit through the left side of the infield. His first big league base hit drives in a run. The Yankees have a 1-0 lead. Welcome to America, Hideki Matsui, by way of Canada. And you see his English. He said to Mez, can I get the ball? He wants the ball. That's all. Ha ha ha. I saw him in the Yankee clubhouse this spring, and with my limited Japanese, I said, which is good luck. He said, thank you very much. He is making a very concerted effort. So named. Bye. Ryan LaFever. There's a liner into left field for a hit by Navarro. And the Yankees get a run to make it 17-4. More. So Navarro singles to left field. That's Navarro's first big league hit. I gather, because I don't have a number on him either, I gather this is Andy Phillips. It is. Well, I mean, who else could it be, John? That's the process of elimination. Now, this is a right-hand hitting Andy Phillips, a corner infielder. Who had a big year at Columbus, got some pop. He's a right-hand hitter. Who will tell his grandkids that one day he pinch hit for A-Rod. That pitch. Swung on and hit in the air to deep left center field. That ball is going to gone into the monster seats. Andy Phillips, first at bat, a two-run home run over the Green Monster into the monster seats. And the Yankees trail 11-4. I thought it was going to hit off the wall, and it didn't. It got over the wall. It hit into the first row of the monster seats. Now, Andy Phillips really has something to tell his kids and grandkids about one day. His first at bat, his first hit, a two-run home run in Boston, hitting for A-Rod. He's got Chino at first with no one out in the third. And no more deals, hit on the ground, base hit to right field, his first Major League hit. Chino holds at second as Huff fires in, so they'll get that baseball and throw it into the Yankee dugout. And Gene Monahan will mark it up for him. That's a thrill of a lifetime. Something we'll never experience. That's his first major league hit. And the Yankees do get the ball. Throw it into the dugout. And also the Yankees have two on and no one out for Derek Jeter. And you know what? I just saw a very nice thing. Eduardo Perez, who is so aware of everything, he got that ball. He immediately took the ball and threw it into the Yankee dugout. He knew that it was the kid's first hit. Here's Melky Cabrera, struck out in his first big league at bat. So he is officially... In the baseball encyclopedia. Fisted the other way, fair ball, it's trouble. It is his first Major League hit. He makes a big turn, he'll head back to first, and he'll get himself a baseball to put on his mantle. And he gets a standing ovation. You remember your first one? Was that off-walk? Yes, it was. Yeah? A line drive over Jose Lina, second base. Well, I see it a few years, Melky will say, that was a line drive over third. And a little bit of a smile. So he's hitting .500. And there it is, his first major league hit, and his first RBI. Duncan makes a big turn at first. Cano scores. Tampa Bay now leads the Yankees 13-4, and they'll get that baseball for Shelley Duncan. They toss it into the Yankee dugout, and Shelley Duncan will have that forever. A little bit of a smile. Obviously upset the Yankees are losing, but a long fight to the major leagues, and he gets himself a hit. Good for him. And there's the keeper of such things, Gene Monahan. He will inscribe it. The date, the time, the game, and where the hit was, and then Shelley Duncan will have it. Infield now in. That will help Gardner. Wild pitch. And there's Gardner's first base hit in the big leagues. Hits an RBI single, and the Yankees lead 11-7. And Milton Bradley tosses the ball to the first base umpire, Ron Kopf, gives it to Tony Pena, and that will go into the Yankee dugout for safekeeping. Not only a hit, but his first run batted in as well. He looks in the paper tomorrow. He'll have himself a batting average. Oh, and Madrigal looks in the paper. He's going to have a high ERA tomorrow, so he departs. And Molina now with the standard fake throwing the ball into the stands just to unnerve Gardner. But they have the ball, and that will go up on somebody's mantle. I'll tell you what, he starts getting some of that big-league meal money. He's not going to be skinny much longer. And there's his first big-league hit right there past the diving Andino. So Peña picks up a single, and they'll get that baseball for him. The Yankee dugout calling for it right now. Rob Thompson has it. How about that? First big league at bat. Get it out of the way quickly. Now, did you see what Johnny Damon did? He had another baseball as he got the baseball, and he took the baseball that he had in his hand and tossed it into the stands, and that's what Peña saw. So he doesn't know if they actually have the ball. Here's another look. First at bat, first hit. From Tony Pena. And that's Pena. Or that's Damon throwing the fake baseball into the stands. And there's Cervelli's first big league hit. Nicky Cabrera will stop at second. They're going to want to get that baseball. They'll call for it. And Cervelli now has that one hit. And the baseball encyclopedia. And they're calling for it in the Yankee dugout. Cervelli's had himself a good night. He's thrown out a runner. He's laid down a sacrifice bunt. He's got his first major league hit. Which feels like the weight of the world is off your shoulders. You have a batting average in the big leagues. And it was a solid single to center field. But it brings back memories. My first hit was a single to center field. Still have the ball? No, I didn't get it. When I think about it, times were different then. That's wrong. Really? Pits to Jeter as a strike. Next time up, I hit a homer. Didn't get that one either. They couldn't find it, though. I don't know. Still in orbit. During the trade deadline, I know that... Several teams wanted Nunez included in deals, and the Yankees were more, I should say, more than reluctant. They just said, no, we're not going to give this young man up. 1-1. There's a base hit. His first big league hit, and it's an RBI single, and it gives the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Well, you like to see any, look at the smile on his face. You like to see any player get his first major league hit, but this was a clutch one. In a clutch situation. He got a change-up, and the fans here at Yankee Stadium, a lot of them standing to give an ovation. You get a second look at it, change-up out over the plate, ran it right through the hole. First major league hit, and drives it around. There he is, and pointing to the bench. My favorite part, getting the ball and kissing it. Oh, yeah. That's sweet. And a smile that can light up the stadium. Not only did that hit give the Yankees a lead, but it knocks Vargas out of the game. Here's the 2-2. And there it is, his first base hit in the big leagues. And the Yankees hope that's the first of many. He's going to get that ball, and that's going on a mantle somewhere. Well, he only needs 3,000-some to catch him, huh? See, there's a breaking ball, and there goes that ball. They'll never see another major league field. Go into Gene Monahan's training room and be all marked up tonight. There it is. Gets a nice hand from the stadium crowd, and that's got to be a relief for Montero. The longer it goes, the more you think about it. Got a Major League batting average now. It was a breaking ball. Stayed back on it. Hold it in the hole. Quick wristed it, too. There it is. There's his first big league hit. Ichiro will fire the ball in, and that ball will get tossed into the Yankee dugout, and Austin Romine gets his first big league hit, a single right center. And that ball is probably going to end up On Kevin Romine's mantle, don't you think? You know what, I'm glad, I'm saying, how many times we see the first hit, they roll it in, they do the guy, the guy gets the ball, thinks like he's gonna throw it in the stands. Right. Kevin Long just throwing it right to Gene Monahan, who got nice penmanship, right, all the information on the ball. And that's gonna be a very special ball for Austin Romine for this reason, cause it's his first hit. Nice, nice drive. And also because the guy's gonna mark it up, That might be the last ball he ever marks up. Gene Monahan's in his final year as Yankee trainer. We think that's his family. They certainly seem into the moment. Taking a picture of their son on the scoreboard as well. How cool is that? Take a picture of that, hitting for Cano. The 3-1 pitch. Grounded sharply to third. Backhanded by Gillespie. He can't get a handle. Fires to first. Not in time. And that'll be his first big league hit. J.R. Murphy off the bench picks up a single. And now his feet are touching the ground. How did the family react? Somebody's crying. That's fine. Ichiro leads off first. Hits sharply and there's his first Major League hit. Another keepsake as Ichiro will go to third. Solarte picks up a single. The Yankees have runners on the corners. And one man out. He'll get that baseball. It's almost as if Altuve knew that that was his first hit. They're both from Venezuela. And Solórzano has hit the ball hard two times up. That's a tremendous feeling. You got a major league batting average. In fact, he's hitting .500. A rocket by Villar and on into center field for the hit. Here's a good look. Man, right there, and he jumps on it. I like the way he takes the aggressive turn at first base, too. Second big league game for Ref Schneider. He's 0 for 2. He was 0 for 3 last night looking for his first big league hit. Base hit to right center field. Ref Schneider gets his first big league hit and leads off the seventh with a single. And they're calling for the baseball. Everybody knows it. Even the Red Sox players immediately acknowledge and toss the baseball to the dugout. That's a nice first big league hit. And no doubt, go down and dig out a line drive on the outer half of the plate. Here's Greg Bird. He's 0 for 3, still looking for his first big league hit. And there it is. He's in the books. Greg Bird picks up a single. He moves to share it a second that baseball is going to go into the Yankee dugout and his parents, Jim and Lee, are all smiles. Bob looks a little less nervous now. Got a major league batting average. And there's the first hit. Mom and dad. There you go. But still, it's a lot better than it was when he left to go to Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. There's the first base hit for Gary Sanchez. They'll get that ball, and the Yankees think big things for this kid, and that could be the first of many. So a single for Gary Sanchez, and he now has himself a batting average. That's got to feel pretty good. Tony Pena tosses it into the dugout. It'll be marked up and presented to him after the game. We can remember that back in spring training, Sanchez had a chance to make the club, but he didn't hit the ball very well in spring training. But he went down to the minor leagues had a good year at AAA was an all star and now he has himself a major league hit and a weight off his shoulders too. Kenny you still have the baseball from your first hit. No. Did they collect them all then? No. No they didn't get I didn't get the ball. Oh wow. Next time I hit a home run and they couldn't get that one I don't know what to say. We're talking with Hall of Famer Joe Torre here in the booth as the Yankees celebrate the 20th anniversary of that magical 96 season. They have not won a championship since 1978 at that point, so now there's a generation of people who only know the Yankees winning, but it's gone from 78 to 96 between championships. There's that jump right there, those two flags, the 2-2. Driven to right field and deep. Going back is Matuk on the track at the wall. Welcome to the big leagues. See ya. He'll never forget that. What an indoctrination. His first at bat and his first home run as the Yankees lead 1-0. Perfect. And now I'm going to show you how to do it. And the ball conveniently came back on the field too. Nice. I tell you one thing. As a young kid, you hit your first home run. All of a sudden, you're like, wow, this is Yankee Stadium. A first row right down the line. Pretty good at bat, got down two strikes, fought back. Well, that's the book on Tyler Austin, is that his opposite field power, half of those 17 home runs he had in the minor leagues were the other way, so he's a good match for the porch here at Yankee Stadium. And another thing, Paul, when you ask me what you look for, When you have the ability to hit the opposite field like that, that means you're watching the ball a lot longer. I was watching it, and I tripped over first base, and nobody was watching me, they were all watching the ball, so that was my first home runoff, Joey Jay with the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati. Judge hits one to center field and deep, going back, Kiermaier, turning, looking, see ya, a monster home run, back-to-back home runs by the Baby Bombers in their first big league at-bats, can you believe it? Wow, it's funny, Mike, where you said, well, Judge has two. I mean it's not that easy to walk up back to back I mean how many times that ever happened in the history of baseball to first at bats back to back home runs and that's pretty impressive center field used to be no chance in Yankee Stadium. Yeah there were a lot of right turns where you hit them good right back to the dugout Death Valley is just wow that go off the back off the black to go off the glass one off the glass at one restaurant. Grounded up the middle and a base hit. Two runs will score. Welcome to the big league moment for Miguel Andujar. He picks up his first major league hit, and the Yankees lead 3-0. Nobody can take it away from you. First major league hit, couple of RBIs, a solid shot right back up the middle. Yankees off to a nice start, and this one taking advantage of some walks. Again, just that nice aggressive swing, good extension through the middle of the field. Those players in the Yankee dugout, they know exactly what this feels like. Your first strikeout, your first base hit. Congratulations. And the pitch. Fly ball right field. Going back, Garcia. Still back. It's over his head. And up against the wall. A run scores. Wade will stop at second with his first big league hit. And the Yankees lead 4-2. High five for dad. And they're going to get that baseball and put it away for safekeeping. That's mom, dad, and bro. Get over his head, over his head. There you go. First big league hit is a big one, a two-out RBI base hit. The Wade family loves it. Alex Bregman and Clint Frazier. Frazier's got his first big league hit. Mom and Dad are here, and Mom can hardly hold back the tears. Well, that's an enjoyable moment. He'll never forget it, and he picked out a fastball that was supposed to be up. See, Gattis wanted it up, but he threw it down, right down the middle and a little bit in. You can see how quick his hands were. Hard to believe a few years ago I presented him with the Gatorade Player of the Year in Atlanta. And he's in the big leagues, and I'm broadcasting. Go figure. A neat moment for the family, his dad, Mark, and his mom, Kim. There it is. Welcome to the show. The first big league hit for Gleyber Torres. And now he can breathe. Let's all breathe with him, Michael, because this is as happy as you can be in life right here. And there's the old trick, throw the other ball into the crowd. So, Torres, what did you just do? I'll tell you one thing. Like I said, you don't want to go on and, you know, press 0 for 10, 0 for 12. Look at that. It's just a shot of emotion going down that first baseline. It's over with. I'm in the books. Pitch outside to Gardner. Stevie Donahue, back to work, tape that one up and then mark it up after the game. Learned from the best, Gene Monahan used to do that, now Stevie took it over. If he gets a hit tonight, he'll be playing the guitar all night. Thank you very much. Thank you. A ball and two strikes the count. And it could not happen to a better guy who's had a longer journey. Higgy, as his teammates call him, a home run resembling Carlton Fisk. Another catcher, just an awesome home run. And if you see the reaction of the teammates, not quite excited, but they love this kid. They're giving him a silent treatment, and then the hugs. I love the force. Like someone give me five, slap someone on the leg. Oh, man. And what did Aaron Boone tell us in his manager's office this morning? Because I know he doesn't have a hit, but the power is real, guys. And I kind of laughed at Boone, like, all right, you're just trying to help out your guy. Bye. Bye. He hasn't had enough. Bye. You're putting him in on Sunday Night Baseball. He said, that's the only way to look at it. And he said, victory will be that much sweeter. When it's all done, that one is ripped into left center field as Ford picks up his first major league hit. It's a double, and it's a beauty lined into left center field. All the work. Three straight years in AAA. Undrafted free agent signed by the Yankees. That feels good. Slapped into right field. It's a base hit for Cairo Estrada. It's his first big league hit, and the bases are loaded. I just love how excited the Yankee bench is for Estrada right there. Those guys in the bench knows what it feels like to get your first big league knock. You can waste any time. First pitch, hammer it the other way. Thank you. Thank you. Fastball down and away. Just stays inside. Drives it to right field. Makes it look easy. The ball goes to Stevie Donahue. Be appropriately marked up. There's Giddens looking for his first big league hit. That one's hit deep to left field. There it is. See ya. You're in the record books with a home run. His first of his career. His first big league hit. And that ties the game at two. Talked about Chris Giddens and having big league power. And he just showed you why. Oh my god. Middle end. Nothing cheap about that home run. And a memory for a lifetime. And they're not taking that one away on review. Which is what they did in Minnesota. Yeah, work on that handicap. Yeah. It never gets as low as you want it to, Flash. You know that. Never. Cabrera gets his first big league hit. And that's not just a single. It's going to be extra bases. Oswaldo Cabrera with a double. He's in the column. Daddy's happy. His friends are happy. And the Yankees are thrilled as well. A flasher in the record books now. I mean, they do keep count. Even a number one, a fastball right there, and he laces it into right center field. It's knocked down, but no chance. Cabrera's got good speed, and what a feeling that is, I'm sure. Just throw a grenade with it. Love that right there, the reaction of the family. And that's that fastball in that Garland will use to open up the outer edge with that nasty breaking ball that we just saw to Higashioka. Line drive down the left field line. And it is a fair ball up against the wall. Peraza cruises into second with his first Major League hit. Thank you. And they will throw that ball into the dugout. You see Gleyber Torres, Marvin Gonzalez happy for young Oswald Peraza right there picking up his first knock. And a nice piece of hitting as well from a guy in Barland who is dealing right now against the Yankees lineup. Opening day shortstop of the Yankees, Anthony Volpe. And a one-two from Alex Cobb. He has his first major league hit. Anthony Volpe's first hit of the big leagues as a single left field off Alex Cobb. Got a breaking ball, good pitch, he stayed on it, kept his head down. And he's hoping there's going to be, what do you think, 2,000 more of those? I sure hope. Thank you. Parents are excited to get the first one out of the way, it's such a relief. And let's see if he takes second base here with two outs on LeMahieu up. There it is. Authenticate that bad boy. Anyway. Driven out to left field and deep. Going back. Alvarez turning, looking. Welcome to the big league. See ya. A home run for Dominguez in his first big league at bat. First swing, much less first at bat. Well, that's a wow moment. No silent treatment on that one. 3-2. Line drive. It's a base hit for his first major league hit. And his first at bat. Austin Wells with a single. Mom and dad are elated. What a great night so far for the Yankee kids. High quality at bat there, too, for your first one. Controlled the strike zone, did not chase. Verlander pitched him tough. Another slider on 3-2. This time Wells is all over it. I mean, when Wells and Dominguez put their head on their bed tonight, they got a hit in their first at bat against one of the great pitchers of all time. Mom and dad realize it. Top to bottom, absolutely love Ben Rice. Line drive, it is a base hit to right field. Verdugo rounds third. They're going to hold them up. There's the first major league hit for Ben Rice, and the Yankees have the bases loaded, nobody out. And there it is, a base hit to center field. Cabrera rounds third. He's coming home, and he will make it. It's an RBI single for Spencer Jones. The 0-2.